Electric switch



Feb. 27, 1940.

G. H. PORTER 2,191,859

ELECTRIC SWITCH 2 Sheets-Sheett 1 Filed April '7, 1938 ATTCRNEYS Feb.27, 1940. G. H. PORTER 2,191,859

ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed April '7, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Feb. 27,1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ELECTRIC SWITCH Guy H. Porter, Linwood,Pa.

Application April 7, 1938, Serial No. 200,795

7 Claims. (Ci. 20o- 70) The object of the invention is to provide anelectric switch particularly adapted for use in installations where thecircuit control carries very heavy current; to provide a switchconstruction in which the circuit opening function is eilectedinstantaneously, so that, for all practical purposes, there will be noresultant arc with its consequent deterioration of the current carryingcontacts; to provide a switch of the quick make and break form in whichthe making and breaking functions are accomplished Without danger ofshock or jar to the operators arm; to provide a s'witch construction inwhich the design makes for ready adaptation of the device to thedoublethrow form; to provide a device of the kind indicated in which theswitch is locked either in its circuit closing position, or openposition; and generally to provide a quick break, heavy current; switchwhich is of sturdy form, unlikely to have its parts disarranged orbroken under the most exacting conditions of practice. and which, forthe functions to be performed. is of comparatively simple construction.so as to be susceptible of comparatively cheap manufacture.

With this object in view. the invention consists in a construction andcombination of parts of which a preferred embodiment is illustrated inthe accompanying drawings but to which the invention is not to berestricted. Practical application may dictate certain changes oralterations and the right is claimed to make any which fall within thespirit of the invention.

In the drawings: i

Figure 1 is an elevational view of the improved switch looking at thatend in which the movable contact actuating arm is carried, this viewshowing the switch in one of its circuit closing positions.

Figure 2 is a View similar to Figure i, showing n an intermediateposition of the actuating handle in effecting circuit opening positionof the switch, a later position of the actuating handle being indicatedin dotted lines.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 1 but showing the switch in openposition, a later position of the actuating handle being indicated indotted lines. A

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 1 but showing the switch in thereverse position, the next position of the actuating handle to eectneutral or open position being indicated in dotted lines.

Figure 5 is a transverse sectional view through the combined handle andarm shaft in the plane of the pin and slot connection between elementsthereof and showing the relative positions of elements when the handleis in the position A indicated in Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 5 with the elements in the relativepositions assumed when the handle is in the position B indicated inFigure 2.

Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 5 but indieating the positions ofthe shaft elements when the handle is in the position C indicated inFigure 3.

Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure 5 but showing the relativepositions of the shaft elements when the handle is in the position Dindicated in Figure 3.

Figure 9 is a view similar to Figure 5 but showing the relativepositions of the shaft elements when the handle is in the position E ofFigure 4.

Figure 10 is a view similar to Figure 5 but showing the positions of theshaft elements when the handle is in the position F of Figure 4.

Figure 11 is a sectional View on the plane indicated by the line II-ilof Figure 4.

Figure l2 is a sectional view on the plane-indicated by the line I2-i2of Figure 11.

Figure 13 is an end elevational view lookingI at the opposite end fromthat shown in Figures 1 to 4 inclusive.

Figure 14 is a sectional view on the plane indicated by the line lt-llof Figure 13.

If the invention be constructed to operate merely as a single-throwswitch. there will be but one set of iixed contacts 20 but ifconstructed to be of the double-throw form, there will be acorresponding oppositely disposed set of contacts 2i. The contacts 20 or2i may be engaged by the movable contacts 22 which are shifted intoengagement with the iixed contacts by imparting angular or turningmovement to the shaft 23, the latter being journaled in the cross bars24 which are elements of the main frame and span the side-plates 25 inaddition to the transverse bars 26 and 21.

The fixed contacts have leaf supports 2B of laminated form but of springmetal of high electrical conductivity, so that the ilxed contacts mayyield slightly when engaged with the movable contacts. The leaf supportsare secured to the insulating plates 29 by means of cap screws 30 oracceptable fasteners to which the the conducting leads of the circuit tobe controlled are connected.

The insulating plates 29 are supported in the frame between the sideplates 26 and span the transverse bars 24 and 21.

The movable contacts z2 consist of strips" of u high conductivitymaterial clamped to arms 3i by means of bolts 32, these contacts beingarranged in divergent relation and backed with an acceptable cushion 33.consisting of wedges of metal or similar material, since the movablecontacts, in engaging the fixed contacts, are subjected to aconsiderable shock and constant peration would bend them, were it notfor the backing members 33. The arms to which the movable contacts areattached are clamped to the shaft 23 but around insulating bushings 34,the shaft being cross sectionally angular or square at the points whereit receives the arms and the clamps consisting of complemental elementsof which one is formed as an integral part of the arm, as indicated at35, and the other as a separable member 36 secured to the member 35 bymeans of bolts 31.

While the shaft 23 is cross sectionally angular in the arm receivingzone, it has circular Journals to provide for its rocking movement inthe bearings in the cross rods 24 and at one side of the frame thejournal is extended to receive the hub 33 of a kick-over arm 39 lying ina common plane with the arms 3|, the kick-over arm be' ing formed with ayoke 4|! extending above the plane of the axis of the shaft 23 andhaving its horns 4| arranged generally in convergent relation. Rockingmovement to the shaft 23 is imparted through the kick-over arm 33.

Movement of the kick-over arm is initiated by the lever 42 which iscarried on a shaft 43, journaled in the transverse bars 26, theresistance arm of the lever 42 carrying a roller 44 for engagement withthe horns of the yoke to start kick-over arm movement after release ofthe yoke from its latch, the yoke being susceptible of being latched ineither of the contact engaging positions of the arms 3|. The latchesconsist of bars 45 provided with lateral lugs 46, the bars beingpivoted, as indicated at 41, on the members 35 on the ends of the latterand being provided at the ends remote from the pivotal mounting withscrews 48. The bars 45 are yieldingiy impelled toward the yoke by meansof springs 46 and the screws 48 project into the area bounded by theinner peripheries of the horns 4|, the lugs 46 following the outer edgesof the horns until the yoke is in such position that the lug of one barwill engage underneath the yoke on the inclined lug engaging face 56with which the yoke is provided at each side. Of course vwhen a lugengages the lug engaging face 50, the movable contacts 22 are engagedwith one set of fixed contacts and there is a caming action tending toincrease the engagement of the xed and` movable contacts. The screwsprojecting into the area bounded by the yoke horns, are in positions tobe engaged by the lever 42 when the latter is rocked. A spring isconnected terminally to the extremities of the force arm of the lever 42and the free end of the kick-over arm 39 and is stretched as the lever42 moves, passing the axis of the shaft 43 and contracting on theopposite side of the shaft. The spring 5| is the means for accomplishingthe quick movement of the movable contacts toward and away from thefixed contacts. Kick-over arm movement does not begin until the releaseof the lug from the lug engaging face of the yoke and this isaccomplished by the lever 42 engaging the screw 43 in the bar carryingthe engaged lug.

The shaft 43 is equipped for manual operation and to this end there isprovided a hand lever 52 terminally formed with a hand grip 53. Thelever 52 is not directly connected with the shaft 43 but is carried onthe extremity of a smaller shaft 54 which telescopes the shaft 43,entering a bore in the latter. A certain amount of relative angularmovement is provided between the shaft 43 and hand lever shaft 54, sothat the hand lever may bc moved a slight amount without imparting anyrocking movement to the shaft 43. To this end the shaft 43 is providedwith a slot 55 following the circumference of the shaft and thenecessary angular extent, this slot being traversed by a pin 56extending radially from the shaft 54,

The purpose of this pin and slot construction is to make it possible forthe hand lever 52 to be moved a slight distance to effect latch release,there being two latch members cooperating with the arm 55' to retain theshaft 23 in an intermediate or neutral position for the contacts 22-thatis, where neither will engage either of its companion fixed contacts 20or 2|. The arm 55' is carried by and secured to the shaft 23 at the endremote from the kick-over arm 39 and is terminally provided with a latchreceiving tongue 56. The latch construction consists of reverselyarranged latch levers 51 and 5B pivotally mounted, as indicated at 59,on ears pendent from one of the cross bars 21. Pull members 60 and 6|are provided for the latch levers 51 and 53 respectively and areslidably mounted in guide sleeves 62 secured on one of the cross bars24. The pull members 60 and 6| are parallel where they are mounted inthe guide sleeves 62 and thereabove, but below the guide sleeves.diverge so that their lower extremities may be connected with theextremities of the force arms of the latch levers 51 and 58. Springs 63,tensioned between anchor pins on the members 25 and the points ofconnection between the pull members and the levers 51 and 58, tend tokeep the pull members in -their lowermost positions and the latch leversin their elevated or normally horizontal positions which are insured bythe force arms of the latch levers engaging abutments 64 mounted on themembers 25.

The latch levers are formed with nose portions 65, relatively reverselydisposed and of gradually increasing width, so that their freeextremities are narrower than the levers with their rear portionsexceeding the levers in width to provide shoulders 66.

The levers overlap at the nose portions, so that the shoulders 66 arespaced a distance suiiicient to define a`slot in which the tongue 56' ofthe arm 55' is received. In such a position. the shaft 23 is retained ina position where the contacts 22 are at the neutral point, orintermediately between iixed contacts 2|l and 2|.

The latch levers are released from engagement with the tongue 56' of thearm 55 through the instrumentality of the hand lever 52 which isprovided with divergent ears 61 in which are mounted screws 68 inobstructing relation to which are ears 69 formed as lateral extensionsof the pull members 60 and 6|.

In the operation of the invention, let it be assumed that it is in thecircuit closing position indicated in Figure l with the movable contacts22 in engagement with the fixed contacts 2| In this position, the lever42 is swung over on that side on which it will overhang the fixedcontacts 2| and the spring 5| will be subjected to its minimum tension.'I'he movable contacts will be locked into engagement with the fixedcontacts because of the lug 46 on the bar 45 en- 75 gaging the inclinedface 50 of the yoke 40. In this position of the parts, the pin 55 willbe at one end of the slot 55 by reason of the downward pull on one ofthe pull members serving to elevate thehand lever until the pin assumessuchposition. In moving from the position shown in Figure l to theneutral position, the hand lever 52 will be moved to the left and inthis movement the pin 58, abutting the end of the slot 55, will causethe shaft 43 to be turned and with it the lever 42, which will swing inan arc until its resistance arm impacts that end of the screw 48invading the area defined by the horns of the yoke 40. Continuedmovement of the lever 42 and with it the lever 52, will result inforcing the bar 45 outwardly and withdrawing the lug from underneath theyoke 40. Thereafter, the roller 44 will traverse the inner edge of theright hand horn 4l and will start the kick-over arm 39 to the left, thespring 5I being stretched in the operation, as clearly shown in Figure2. After the spring passes the axis of the shaft 43, it can contract onthe left hand side of the shaft and in doing so will draw the kick-overarm 39 to the left and with the latter the shaft 23 and the arm 55'. Thetongue 56' on the latter will then engage the inclined edge of the noseof the latch lever 51 and depress the resistance arm of the lever untilthe tongue impacts with the shoulder 86 of the nose portion of the lever58, when the tongue will be in a position where the latch lever 51 canreturn to its former position and the shaft 23 will be locked with thecontact carrying arms 3l in central or neutral position, as shown inFigure 3. But locking of the shaft 23 against locking movement by thelatch pawls, also locks the kick-over arm and its associated yoke andthe roller 44 of the lever 42 bearing against the inner edge of theright hand horn of the yoke, the

lever is precluded from further movement to the left. But the hand lever52, however, has limited angular movement by reason of the pin and slotconnection 55-56. The parts could be returned to the positions indicatedin Figure 1 by swinging the hand lever to the right as viewed in Figure3.

But let it be assumed that the reverse position from Figure l is to beobtained. The hand lever 52 is depressed to the position shown in dottedlines, or the position D, indicated in Figure 3, where the pin 56 willbe at the opposite end of the slot 55 than formerly. In this position,the lifter screw 6B will engage the ear 69 of the pull member SII,depressing the resistance arm of the latch lever 51 which will withdrawits shoulder 66 from obstructing position to the tongue 55 of the arm55'. 'Ihe kick-over arm 39 can then swing to the left and by similarlyrocking the shaft 23 engage the contacts 22 with the contacts 2li, Butthis rocking of the yoke allows the roller 44 to traverse the inner edgeof the horn 4I further and therefore permit further left hand swing ofthe lever 42, when the spring Iii will be contracted to the same lengthas indicated in Figure 1 but on the opposite side of the device.

The slot and pin connection 55-56, aside from permitting sufllcient handlever movemnt'to effect latch release, also provides for sumcientrelative angular movement between the shaft 43 and shaft 54 to permitshifting of the movable contacts without shock to the arm of the user.

The invention having been described, what is claimed as new and usefulis:

1. An electric switch comprising fixed and movable contacts, a rockshaft supporting the latter, a manually actuable rock shaft, a levercarried by the manually actuable shaft, an arm carried by the first saidshaft and having a yoke operatively connected with the resistance arm ofsaid lever, a spring tensioned between the extremities of the lever andthe arm, so that upon rocking of the second said shaft the movablecontacts will be moved toward and away from the fixed contacts, andlocking means for retaining the movable contacts in engagement with thefixed contacts and provided with means whereby they may be released bysaid lever.

2. An electric switch comprising fixed and movable contacts, a rockshaft supporting the latter, a manually actuable rock shaft, a levercarried by the manually actuable shaft, an arm carried by the first saidshaft and having a yoke operatively connected .with the resistance armof said lever, a spring tensioned between the extremities of the leverand the arm, so that upon rocking of the second said shaft the movablecontacts will be moved toward and away from the fixed contacts, andlocking means for retaining the movable contacts in engagement with thexed contacts and provided with means whereby they may be released bysaid lever, the locking means having a terminal screw extending into thearea defined by said yoke and the lever having its resistance armengageable with said screw and provided with a terminal rollertraversing the yoke.

3. An electric switch comprising fixed and movable contacts, a rockshaft carrying the latter, a second rock shaft above the first, a levercarried by the second rock shaft, an arm carried by the first rock shaftand having a yoke formed with horns arranged at all times in embracingrelation to the resistance arm of the lever, a spring tensioned betweenthe remote extremitiesof the' lever and the arm, and a hand leveroperatively connected with the second said rock shaft, the resistancearm of said lever upon turning movement of said second rock shaftengaging a horn to initiate rocking movement to the first said rockshaft.

4. An electric switch comprising fixed and movable contacts, a rockshaft carrying the latter, a second rock shaft above the first, a. levercarried by the second rock shaft, an arm carried by the first rock shaftand having a yoke formed with horns arranged at all times in embracingrelation to the resistance arm of the lever, a spring tensioned betweenthe remote extremities of the lever and the arm, a latch member springimpelled toward the yoke and having a releasing member invading the areadefined by the yoke when the latch is in engaged position, and a handlever operatively connected with the second said rock shaft to manuallyeffect rocking of the same, the resistance arm of the lever beingengageable first with the latch releasing member to release the latchand thereafter with a horn of the arm to initiate rocking movement ofthe first said rock shaft.

5. An electric switch comprising fixed and movable contacts, a-rockshaft carrying the latter, a second rock shaft above the first, a levercarried by the second rock shaft, an arm carried by the first rock shaftand having a yoke formed with horns arranged at all times in embracingrelation to the resistance arm of the lever, a spring tensioned betweenthe remote extremities of the lever and the arm, and a hand lever con- 1nected with the second said rock shaft to impart angular movement to thesame when the resistance arm of the lever engages a horn of the yoke toinitiate rocking movement of the second rock shaft. the hand leverhaving a limited angular movement relative to the second said rock shaftto preclude hand shock in the completion of the rocking movement ofthesecond said rock shaft.

6. An electric switch comprising fixed and movable contacts, a rockshaft carrying the latter, a second rock shaft above the first, a levercarried by the second rock shaft, an arm carried by the first rock shaftand having a yoke formed with horns arranged at all times in embracingrelation -to the resistance arm of the lever, a spring tensioned betweenthe remote extremities of the lever and the arm, a latch engageable withthe yoke for retaining the first said rock shaft in the position wherethe xed and movable contacts are engaged, latching means for retainingthe rock shaft in a position Where the fixed and movable contacts areseparated, and a hand lever operatively connected with the second saidrock shaft and having limited angular movement relative to the latter,the hand lever having means for releasing the last said latch uponrelative movement between it and the second rock shaft, and the iirstsaid latching means being releasable by the resistance arm of said leverprior to its engagement with a horn of the yoke to initiate rockingmovement of the second said rock shaft.

7. A double-throw electric switch comprising oppositely disposed fixedcontacts, a movable contact selectively engageable with either of thefixed contacts, a rock shaft carrying the latter, a second rock shaftparalleling the first, a lever carried by the second rock shaft, an armcarried by the rst rock shaft and having a yoke formed with hornsarranged at all times in embracing relation to the resistance arm of thelever, a spring tensioned between the remote extremities of the leverand horn, a pair of latch members arranged in overlapping relation todene a recess. an arm carried by the first said rock shaft and having aterminal engageable in said recess when the second said rock shaft is ina position where the movable contact is intermediate between the fixedcontacts, and a hand lever carried by the second said rock shaft andhaving limited angular movement relative to the latter, the hand leverhaving means to trip either of said latch members to release the engagedarm when moved relative to the second rock shaft and the lever carriedby the second rock shaft being engageable with a horn of the yoke toinitiate rocking movement of said rock shaft when the movable contact isengaged with a fixed contact.

GUY H. PORTER.

